1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard input device for use of, e.g. a portable personal computer, a portable information terminal, and auxiliary input equipment thereof, and in particular, a foldable keyboard input device having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, in order to downsize a keyboard input device for connecting to a portable personal computer, a new keyboard input device has been proposed. That is, as shown in FIG. 31, a keyboard unit 100 is divided into a right hand side board 101 and a left hand side board 102, which are connected by a hinge 103 for keyboard so as to allow pivotal rotation and to make the right hand side board 101 and the left hand side board 102 foldable. Reference numeral 104 denotes a display panel.
By dividing the keyboard unit 100 to the right hand side board 101 and the left hand side board 102 and by making them foldable, it is possible to obtain convenience of portability and to save space, but it does not necessarily mean that there is no problem.
Specifically, the keyboard hinge 103 is provided at a connecting portion of the right hand side board 101 and the left hand side board 102 for folding. Thus, as shown in FIG. 31, the keyboard arrangement is separated into the right side and the left side so as to produce a space therebetween at the center, thus causing an uncomfortable feeling when the keyboard is used.
Moreover, the right hand side board 101 and the left hand side board 102 are superimposed when they are folded. Thus, it becomes necessary to place a top surface of each key top 105 lower than a top surface of a casing 106. Consequently, there is a problem of undesirable key operability.
The present invention is to solve the prior art drawbacks, and a first object thereof is to provide a keyboard input device that has a similar key arrangement as an ordinary keyboard, thus eliminating uncomfortable feeling when it is used and that secures protection of the key top when folding.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard input device, in which the top surface of the key top is projected more than the casing at the time of keyboard entry so as not to impair the key operability, and the top surface of the key top is lower than the top surface of the casing at the time of folding so as not to cause any trouble.
In order to achieve the first object, a keyboard input device of a folding type having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit is characterized in that the first keyboard unit is pivotably supported by the second keyboard unit so as to pivot about a position slightly inside from an end of a coupling side of the second keyboard unit as its axis, a cover for covering an area from the end of the coupling side of the second keyboard unit to the axis when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are superimposed is slidably attached to the first keyboard unit, and an end plate for covering the end of the coupling side of the second keyboard unit and the first keyboard unit when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are superimposed is pivotably coupled between the cover and the second keyboard unit.
In order to achieve the second object, a keyboard input device of a folding type having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit is characterized in that at least one of the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit is movable relative to a casing composed, for example, of a cover to be described later, key tops provided to the keyboard unit are projected from the casing when the keyboard unit are opened, and the key tops provided to the keyboard unit is housed in the casing when the keyboard unit is closed.
A third invention is a keyboard input device of a folding type having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit characterized in that a first keyboard unit substrate such as a first keyboard unit membrane switch having each switching element provided so as to correspond to each key top disposed to the first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit substrate such as a second keyboard unit membrane switch having each switching element provided so as to correspond to each key top disposed to the second keyboard unit are coupled by a coupling, when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are horizontal open, the coupling is bent in a wave shape adjacent to a joint of the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit, and when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are folded, the coupling is bent into a U-shape adjacent to a joint of the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit.
A fourth invention is a keyboard input device of a folding type having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit characterized in that the first keyboard unit is pivotably supported by the second keyboard unit so as to pivot about a position slightly inside from an end of a coupling side of the second keyboard unit as its axis, a cover for covering an area from the end of the coupling side of the second keyboard unit to the axis when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are superimposed is slidably attached to the first keyboard unit, a projection provided to the cover is inserted into a guide groove formed to the first keyboard unit, a convex portion overriding the projection immediately before the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit move into a horizontal state and a projection housing where the projection fits into when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are in a horizontal state is provided next to each other along the guide groove.
A fifth invention is a keyboard input device of a folding type having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit characterized in that a concave portion or a convex portion is provided adjacent to a coupling of the first keyboard unit to the second keyboard unit while a convex portion or a concave portion is provided adjacent to a coupling of the second keyboard unit to the first keyboard unit, and the concave portion overrides the convex portion immediately before the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit move into a horizontal state, and the concave portion and the convex portion are fitted together when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are in a horizontal state.
A sixth invention is a keyboard input device of a folding type having a keyboard unit divided into a first keyboard unit and a second keyboard unit characterized in that the first keyboard unit is pivotably supported by the second keyboard unit so as to pivot about a position slightly inside from an end of a coupling side of the second keyboard unit as its axis, a cover for covering an area from the end of the coupling side of the second keyboard unit to the axis when the first keyboard unit and the second keyboard unit are superimposed is provided, the cover is slidably supported by the first keyboard unit by inserting a projection provided to the cover into a guide groove formed to the first keyboard unit, and the projection has an angle controller for controlling an angle of the cover with respect to the first keyboard unit.